Open House New York is the second city, following London, of what has become a worldwide movement to open up cities and engage citizens in conversations about how to shape the future of where they live.
Started in London in 1992 by Victoria Thornton OBE, HonFRIBA, Open House festivals foster a better understanding of architecture outside the profession. The core of this idea lies in the direct experience of the buildings themselves, accessible for free to all, with opportunities to learn, discuss, and debate with experts and residents alike.
In 2023, nearly 610,000 people participated in Open House festivals, with over 1.8 million visits to buildings and activities and with the help of 13,500 volunteers. Taken together, Open House Worldwide is the largest celebration of the urban landscape in the world.
Today, 60 nonprofits host Open House events across the globe. Each is run as an independent organization, but all adhere to a shared set of values and ideals that advocate access and openness as fundamental to citizenship.
Cities with Open House festivals include:
Athens
Barcelona
Basel
Bergen
Bern
Bilbao
Brisbane
Brno
Buenos Aires
Chicago
Colombo
Copenhagen
Dublin
Essen
Gdansk
Gdynia
Helsinki
Hong Kong
Hsinchu
Lagos
